Liberal ministers in New York do not preach on adultery — unless they start a series on the Ten Commandments without thinking ahead. I did not think ahead. Preachers find it awkward to preach about infidelity, because the church often…
‘Bless your heart; you don’t get worship’
Here is a helpful phrase for ministers to think, but not say, “Bless your heart; you don’t get worship.” For instance, when someone says, “I’m making the announcement about the party. I’m using ventriloquist puppets.” A kind minister thinks, “Bless…
An honest job description for a children’s minister
God loves the senior ministers whose portraits are on the wall in the church parlor, but God knows the real saints are the ones who care for children. For almost 20 years, Julia Rassmann has been a big fun, big…
These were a few of my favorite things from 2023
So 2023 was an interesting year, wasn’t it? Baptist News Global wrote and edited 1,800 news, opinion and analysis pieces that addressed some of the most pressing concerns for life in America, and even in our world, today. Not everyone…
Would it make Jesus puke?
New Yorkers go to some attractions only once and then feel the need to make up excuses: “We went to the Empire State Building because my cousin from Iowa wanted to see it.” “I bought cupcakes at the Magnolia Bakery…
Can we be friends like Butch and Sundance?
In his memoir, The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man, Paul Newman writes, “I wonder what my old age is going to be like, because I really don’t have many friends. It’s hard to feel lonely in New York, but…
Weed the people: Our doobie brothers and sisters
I grew up in a home where we believed anyone who touched an illegal drug was working for the devil. I was 12 when Nancy Reagan was the guest star on a very special episode of Different Strokes. She told…
Find something you’re bad at
When I was a student in Mississippi, my school did not recognize the existence of foreign languages. My lowest grade in college was in Spanish. My lowest grade in seminary was in Greek. After five months in Chile, I could…
Watching the Tonys, thinking about church
The presenters sound like ministers winging the announcements. I am watching The 76th Annual Tony Awards, celebrating the best of Broadway, and missing the writers. The Writers Guild of America is on strike, so they came up with a curious…